The Mets have found a home field advantage in their second year in their new park, but it’s one that you would have expected to see more at Shea Stadium: Garbage.
Throughout the season, the playing field at Citi Field frequently has been littered with trash and yesterday left field often looked like a landfill.
“It’s probably more distracting for teams that don’t deal with it a lot,” Jason Bay said after the Mets’ 5-4 extra-innings victory over the Giants.
“It’s been every game. I mean, obviously not to that level.”
But the left fielder isn’t complaining.
“It’s kind of our upper hand,” said Bay, who had two RBIs. “I’ve kind of gotten used to it and it’s business as usual. Whatever gives us a little edge.”
Players had to dodge all sorts of litter yesterday.
“Boxes, cups, everything . . . plastic bags,” Bay said.
“I actually played out a scenario in my head where a ball went into a plastic bag and I was gonna have to play it because I saw a Lance Berkman clip a couple of years ago where he had to throw with the bag,” said Bay, referring to a 2006 play. That hasn’t happened yet, but Bay said he’s prepared for another windy day today.
*
Oliver Perez has his work cut out for him today when he goes up against two-time Cy Young Award winner Tim LinCecum.
“He’s the best pitcher in baseball,” Perez said of Lincecum, who is 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA.
*
Rod Barajas should be ready to go today after sitting out yesterday’s game. He was hit on the hand by an Eli Whiteside swing on an attempted pitchout from Mike Pelfrey on Friday.
Barajas said he could have played, but manager Jerry Manuel opted to let the hand rest and not risk stopping the catcher’s hot streak.
Manuel said he wasn’t concerned Pelfrey said he still felt something in his shoulder after his outing on Friday.
“I would think that would be somewhat normal soreness,” Manuel said. “If it has his attention, we have to monitor it and make sure he’s OK. I didn’t get anything from anyone . . . from the medical side.”